Let Go of the Grudges

Grudge. A "Grudge" is a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from a past insult or injury. It's a persistent feeling, meaning that it's a feeling that we allow to linger for an extended period of time. The cause of the resentment or ill will is a past insult or injury. All of us have held grudges. We may be currently holding grudges against someone who has hurt or betrayed us in the past. When we hold grudges, we are constantly taking the past into our future. In others words we are allowing those past hurts to affect our future, when we should forgive and move on.

I am very guilty of holding grudges. I think I was the queen of holding grudges. Someone would make me mad, and that was murder she wrote. I would hold on to it until I couldn't hold on to it anymore. My mom used to always tell me that "You have to learn to treat people with a long handled spoon, you can't just get mad and hold on to those feelings". Trust me, I was not hearing that. I was hurt and I wanted that person to know that they better not ever say two words to me. I wanted them to know that I was angry and I wanted them to feel my wrath.

Well lately I have been doing a little evaluating of myself and I realized that those grudges were affecting my future. I was allowing those negative interactions and situations to follow me into places that they didn't deserve to be. Let's be honest. Most times those situations, interactions, and "people" are not that important. So, why should we allow those unimportant situations, interactions, and people to interfere with our happiness and future. And as far as letting them know that they have hurt you, you don't have to. You don't have to inform someone that they have hurt you they already know. It also doesn't matter if the person apologizes or tries to fix the situation. Simply forgive and let go.

The moment I started forgiving and moving on was the moment that I started being genuinely happy. Those people and situations did not matter anymore. I even realized that some situations didn't even deserve my energy or time. I can honestly say that today I am free of grudges. I refuse to allow the unimportant situations, interactions, and people into my future. So, I encourage you to forgive and move on. Don't hold the grudge, let it go. Don't worry about the situation or the person who caused the situation. Live your life free of grudges. Trust me it is a much better feeling.